Mon Mar 03 09:17:06 UTC 2025: ## Tamil Nadu Proposes Surcharge on Open-Access Electricity Consumers

**Chennai, March 3, 2025** – The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has proposed a ₹0.10 per unit surcharge on all open-access electricity consumers from April 1 to September 30, 2025. This affects consumers, primarily industrial and commercial entities, who purchase power directly from private generators under the open-access scheme.

The TNPDCL claims this surcharge is necessary to offset revenue losses resulting from a 410.55 MW stranded capacity due to open access, incurring a fixed charge of ₹234.79 crore. The corporation cited a peak power demand of 20,830 MW on May 2, 2024, and a maximum daily consumption of 454.320 million units on April 30, 2024, highlighting the scale of its operations. TNPDCL’s total contracted capacity stands at 23,959.86 MW, with 15,834.36 MW from conventional sources.

The proposal has been submitted to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) and is open for public comment until March 13, 2025. This follows an earlier TNERC approval of a ₹0.54 per unit surcharge (October 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025), a reduced amount from the TNPDCL’s initial request of ₹1.06 per unit. The open-access system, intended to boost competition and efficiency in the power sector, has apparently led to unforeseen revenue shortfalls for the TNPDCL.

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